Tourism and Travel Trends from India:
News and views on India's Travel and Hospitality Sector

Weekly News Related to Travel Industry in India

Places in the News
Travel and Transportation Infrastructure
Niche Tourism
Policy
Travel and Tourism Support Industries
Travel Characteristics of Indians

Places in the News

1. A trip to Himachal Pradesh to beat the heat
The intense heat wave that has been raging in the plains of north India has prompted both domestic and foreign tourists to flock to cooler places like Himachal Pradesh for the soothing ambiance. Thus Dharamshala in Kangra valley is one of the popular destinations for the summer holidays.

In the lap of nature, one can enjoy the holidays visiting religious temples and monasteries here. "I came to Delhi one week back and it was so hot there. I heard it was around 47 degrees Celsius. So I ran from there and here it is cool," said Hila, a tourist from Israel.

Jagmohan Singh, a tourist from Ludhiana said: "The temperature in Punjab, Ludhiana and Delhi is soaring high, due to which I planned to come to Dharamshala. I am enjoying here."

Those in the hospitality trade including travel agents and tour operators are happy with the inflow of thousands of tourists this season. Reportedly, it is thrice the expected number.

"Hotels in Shimla, Dharamshala and Dalhousie have recorded full occupancy and since the last one week, the inflow of tourists has increased tremendously. We have enough hotels out here, the only problem we are facing is that of traffic jams," said Bipin Katoch, a travel agent.

The Himachal Pradesh Tourism is also offering enjoyable packages such as Himachal food festival, local crafts and the folk culture apart from two fetes on Gujarati and Maharashtrian cuisines.

Tourism is the mainstay of the State's economy, generating about 100 million dollars annually. (ANI)

June 13, 2007
Source: ANI via Yahoo

Travel and transportation infrastructure

Sector: Aviation

1. Gippsland Aeronautics ties up with Mahindra Flexion
In one more venture to bring Australia closer to India, Gippsland Aeronautics ties up with Mahindra Flexion, India, for its aviation business. Lightweight aircraft from Australia, which can be used for training, are being brought into India. Seabird Aviation, an Australia-based company, is currently working on two to eight seater aircraft. A unique two-seater aircraft from Seabird Aviation, known for its distinctive design, which though looks like an aircraft, functions like a helicopter, has been a success.

Australia, only second to the United States in global education, offers a number of aviation courses. The growing number of flying schools, simulation centres and the government-funded projects are a highlight in Australia. Australian aviation and design companies are also helping in set up new airports in India. Airport management, design and navigation assistance are being discussed with the Australian experts.

June 14, 2007
Source: TravelBiz Monitor

2. Finnair looking at expanding to South India
Finnair, Finland's national airline is looking at expanding operations to South India and will initially target Bangalore and Chennai. This was disclosed by Taina Tornstrom, Director Indian Subcontinent, Finnair at a press conference yesterday to announce the launch of their flights to Mumbai. The airline will have five flights a week to Mumbai from Helsinki in addition to daily flights to Delhi, taking the total number of flights to the country to 12 from three flights in a week in October 2006. "We will have daily flights on the Mumbai- Helsinki route by summer of 2008, as it is an important route from a business traveller's perspective. After that we plan to expand to South India," informed Tornstrom. The airline is also in talks with a few aviation academies in India for tie-ups to source cabin crew, as it wants to have Indian crew onboard flights to the country. The aim, according to Tornstrom is to build connection between Northern Europe and India to cater to the rapidly growing Indian outbound market.

The airline has invested two billion Euros in creating a sizeable long haul fleet. The airline will acquire 11-15 new A330/A340 by 2010 and is the first to place an order for 11 new technology A350 aircraft, which will be delivered by 2014-2016. Currently Finnair has a fleet size of 70 aircraft. The airline recently announced Helsinki as its European hub for flights from Asia, arguing that it is the shortest gateway between Asia and Europe. "Helsinki is a hassle-free airport with three runways and has been awarded several times as one of the best airports in the world. We have decided for Helsinki as our hub because it is very well connected to all destinations in Europe," stated Tornstrom. The capacity from Asia quadrupled early this month and contributed to 37 per cent of the revenue of the airline. "Our growth in terms of increased traffic in Asia is 20-30 per cent annually compared to our competitors who report a 6-10 per cent growth annually," stated Christer Haglund, Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications, Finnair. The airline carried nine million passengers last year with a turnover of two billion Euros. Finnair is a part of the One World Alliance and has frequent flyer programmes with British Airways, Qantas and Cathay Pacific Airways. The airline also has tie-ups with most of the airlines in India including Jet Airways, Indian, Air India, and Kingfisher for revenue sharing and accepting each other's electronic tickets.

June 13, 2007
Source: TravelBiz Monitor

Sector: Roadways

1. Bus travel in India can be a smooth ride
Bad roads and worse coaches were what kept down Indian tourism for a long time. But now as roads get better, tour operators have realised the need for better vehicles to match the roads.

Even though these high-end coaches -- Volvo and Kinglong, for example -- come at a considerably higher cost, tour agents are lapping them up quickly. Passengers too have no problems shelling out a little more for a ride, albeit a much more comfortable one. For years, the two prominent players in the bus segment in India were Tata and Ashok Leyland.But now Volvo, Kinglong and even Swaraj Mazda, with its Isuzu buses, have started making inroads into the market.

Tata and Ashok Leyland have lately struck back by launching much-improved buses. Tata launched  Globus in 2005 and company sources say, these buses have been bought by tour operators, inter-city transporters and airlines for use as tarmac coaches. Ashok Leyland too is ready for the launch of its new brand Luxura, in alliance with Spanish body-builder Irizar.

The old buses, says Sarabjit Singh, managing director, Travelite, were built on truck chasis, which was what made a ride on them so bumpy. "Of course, the new buses are more expensive but you have to consider the fact that they are faster, the movement is easier and air-conditioning far better."

Singh informs that the hiring cost of these new buses is almost 60-70 per cent higher than that of regular buses. The cost of a Volvo bus, he says, is also almost double that of a regular bus. So is the case with Kinglong buses, which are imported into the country.

Larger companies like Kouni Destination Management are tying up with transport companies to use these higher-end buses. These bring a lot of add-on value, says Himmat Anand, COO, Kouni. He puts the additional cost to about $18 per person for an 8 day trip, which comes to about $2 a day.

But he points out that the larger Volvo coaches sometimes have a problem getting into the narrow lanes in smaller tourist towns in India. For example, a 40-seater Volvo bus would have a tough time in a city like Varanasi.

Lajpat Rai, MD, Lotus Trans Travels, which operates Buddhist trips for foreign groups, is also optimistic that his company will be able to introduce Volvo buses starting this October.

"The cost of the package might go up 30-35 per cent for us since a major component of a Buddhist tour is road transport, but people are willing to pay."
On the Buddhist circuit, which passes through Bihar and Uttar Pradesh (where, incidentally, roads are far better now), there's a minimum of eight hours of road travel every day and these buses will be a boon for travellers.

However, there are many circuits in India where operators are hesitant to start operating these buses. Good roads are a major pre-requisite in running them, says Singh. In the north, the golden triangle of Delhi-Agra-Jaipur is best suited and as roads in other parts are improving, his company has launched services to places like Amritsar, Chandigarh and Kapurthala as well.

South India is much better, he confesses. Routes from Bangalore to Hyderabad, Chennai to Bangalore and Mysore, Trivandrum and Kochi are great to operate these buses.

On intercity routes, too, these high-end buses are doing amazingly well. Most state transport corporations -- Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka -- have started to include Volvos in their fleets.
Big, after all, is always beautiful.

June 12,2007
Source: Rediff news via yahoo

Sector: Hotels

1. Accord Metropolitan plans expansion in South India
Five-star hotel at Puducheri to come up in 18 months.

Two years after the launch of their first project in Chennai, The Accord Metropolitan is now planning to expand in South India. Apart from a five-star business hotel in Puducheri, the company is looking at setting up properties in Hyderabad, Coimbatore and Madurai. The property in Puducheri developed by the beach will comprise of 140 rooms and will be operational in 18 months. After the success of their first hotel in Chennai, the group is planning to develop more properties in the city.

"We are currently waiting for clearances for a property near College Road and are also scouting for other good properties within the city as we are keen on opening more hotels in Chennai. Overseas projects are also being discussed. Dubai, Malaysia and Australia are among the probable locations," stated Geoff Magee, CEO, Accord Metropolitan, Chennai. Meanwhile, the five-star Accord Metropolitan, Chennai is all set to receive a new roof top Resto bar within a month. Currently, the hotel houses Zodiac - a lounge bar and Kebabs & Rotis, which boosts of authentic Indian cuisine.

June 13, 2007
Source: TravelBiz Monitor

Niche Tourism

Medical

Spiritual & religious

1. NRIs seek for spiritual leisure travel
It’s a scorcher of an afternoon and the temperature outside is almost 44 degrees. But Varanasi’s Assi Ghat is humming with activity. A group of devotees sitting under a tree listen in rapt attention to the saffron-robed Sadhu’s preaching. They appear to be simple village folks — men, aged women and even children.

From the language they speak, they’re probably from Andhra Pradesh and have travelled all the way for a dip in the holy Ganga and to offer prayers at the famous temples of the city. Cut to a fancy Italian pizzeria nearby. A French couple sit at a table smoking from a chillum. They’re engulfed in the aura of mysticism with the river, the temples and the ebb and flow of life.

Almost no one, it seems, is bothered by the heat and that’s not really a surprise. After all, Varanasi is that city where devout Hindus would like to die and which a lot of salvation seeking Americans would count among the 1000 destinations to visit before they die. For many NRIs , it represents an age-old link with their Indian roots.

Beyond Varanasi, the experience is very similar at other destinations — Rishikesh, McLeodganj and Pushkar. All new places which Indians, traditionally, have long associated with a spiritual journey, now have their share of the New Age pilgrims too. Says Prasoon Joshi, creative director, South Asia & South East Asia, McCann-Erickson: “Even among Indians, today, there’s a new breed of younger people who are re-discovering their tradition and culture. They’ve got money and are used to affluent lifestyle. If destinations such as Varanasi provide them with a spiritual experience set amidst the trappings of luxury, more and more people will be attracted. For people in the West, there’s a difference in approach to these places. While for Indians, it’s a must take journey, for westerners, it’s a combination of mysticism and mystery.”

And a lot of Indian travellers now make it a point to visit at least one religious place even when they are on a vacation, as Anil Rai, senior GM, SOTC Holidays of India points out. “People travelling to Kashmir, for instance, make it a point to visit Vaishno Devi. So the trend is to combine a leisure holiday with a visit to a pilgrimage,” he says.

Whatever be the pull factor, it’s well known that religious tourism routes in India are buzzing with activity and every year millions of devotees travel huge distances to visit the pilgrim centres. Add to those numbers the new age pilgrims — both foreigners or well-heeled NRIs — who are also increasingly hitting India’s pilgrim trails. And naturally, those in the travel and tourism business aren’t complaining. So from the sacred Hindu cities of Varanasi, Pushkar, Rameshwaram, Mt Abu and Rishikesh to the Buddhist circuit in Bihar, UP and Himachal, the Sikh Golden Temple in Amritsar and Dargah in Ajmer — twin-track tourism is becoming the order of the day. Many of these pilgrim cities have developed as diverse and multicultural centres where devout Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Buddhists rub shoulders with footloose foreigners in search of the mystic orientalism.

Explaining the phenomenon of foreign leisure tourists entering the pilgrim turf, Arup Sen, executive director, Cox & Kings says: “There are two categories of tourists. One set that goes specifically on a pilgrimage and second that combines leisure with pilgrimage.” While there are no exact figures for this prayer and play segment, the inbound pilgrimage clientele comprises NRIs who want to visit places of religious importance and foreigners seeking the spiritual side of India. The typical profile of this high-end domestic traveller is 45 years and above, who do not mind staying in starred accommodation and reaching the destination in the shortest possible time.

They go on such pilgrimages once in six months and are definitely not associating austerity with the spiritual experience. The NRI segment, on the other hand, combines religious places with places of interest around, such as a visit to the Golden Temple with a visit to Agra and Jaipur. Finally, the needs of the foreign tourists are unique and they tend to look for unusual holidays and variety all in the same trip. Says Ranjan Bhattacharya, MD, Country Inns & Suites: “

Not surprisingly, Varanasi is high on such itineraries as it forms a part of the total experience of India. A foreign tourist in general looks for history, culture, shopping, entertainment and relaxation. In the case of India, they also want a mystic experience. Besides, more than 2 million Buddhist pilgrims from Japan, South Korea, Thailand, Sri Lanka and now China are thronging Bihar and UP every year. They visit Bodh Gaya to see the tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment and Sarnath where Buddha gave his first sermon.”

Highlighting the brand experience of pilgrim destinations, Harish Bijoor, CEO, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc adds: “India has a mix of social, cultural and religious destinations. The religious destinations, especially those which are on the banks of holy rivers, are distinctive brands. These places have an aura which has been created over hundreds of years.”

Considering that the pilgrim trails have become a melting pot of Indian business folks, wealthy NRIs and Nirvana hunters from Europe, America and even Middle East, it is no surprise that various industries such as hospitality and travel are raking in the moolah from the twin tourism trends. While the traditional Indian tourists still provide the numbers, the New Age tourists seek premium, value-added services. Says K B Kachru, country head, Carlson Group: “For domestic tourists with deep pockets, a visit to religious cities often serves as a vacation. Besides, locations like Varanasi have a huge international pull. Radisson Varanasi has 80% international traffic. Our group also has hotels in Katra, Haridwar, Shirdi and Badrinath and the demand for all these places is growing at the rate of 15-20% annually. The NRI market for Ajmer, Katra and Varanasi, too, is constantly increasing.”

But it’s not just the premium luxury segment of hotels that are benefiting. Take Pushkar in Rajasthan, which is famous for the world’s only temple dedicated to Lord Brahma — the creator of the universe in Hindu mythology. According to the department of tourism, Rajasthan, in 2006, 73,573 international tourists and 17,62,700 domestic tourists visited Pushkar. The small town has thousands of hotels, guest houses and people converting their homes into tourist lodging.

The tariffs range from Rs 50 to Rs 5,000 to suit travellers of all categories. The three-star heritage properties of Jagat Palace and Pushkar Palace and the Royal Desert camp in Pushkar are all owned by the local Rajput family of Jagat Singh Rathore. “Around 90% of our guests are American and European and do their booking in groups through travel agents. Often they combine a visit to Pushkar with other popular destinations in Rajasthan. Festivals like Holi and Diwali are also very popular with our foreign guests,” says Ashwini Sharad Pendse, reservation manager at Jagat Palace.

Ajmer, which is 11 km away from Pushkar, too has its share of religious tourists who come to pray at the dargah shariff of Hazrat Khwaja Muinuddin Chisti. “Among foreign tourists, most are from the Indian sub-continent, including Pakistan and Bangladesh. Tourists from UAE, Iran, Malaysia and African countries also visit the dargah. Annually, a revenue of around Rs 200-250 cr could easily be generated through pilgrimage tourism. Tourists visiting Ajmer have a mixed profile— right from a millionaire sheikh to a rickshaw puller,” says Afzal Khan, MD, Roshini Tours.

The central tourism department, too, is pitching in to promote the religious and cultural aspects of Rajasthan. “We have overseas offices across the world to promote Rajasthan as tourist and pilgrim destination. We invite travel writers and tour operators so that they can promote this destination,” says tourist officer Kumar Gaurav.

Likewise, Dharamshala in Himachal, too, gains international and domestic footfalls from its proximity to McLeodganj, which is amongst the most scared cities for Buddhist tourists and the home of Dalai Lama. Says Tarun Shridhar, MD, Himachal Pradesh Tourist Development Corporation: “While faith and belief are the dominant drivers in case of domestic tourists, the attraction of foreign tourists to our religious destinations can be attributed to curiosity and the exotic appeal of religion and culture. We have developed a detailed project for integrated development of the temple circuit in Himachal. Our strategy is two-fold — strengthening the infrastructure and facilities at the popular religious destinations and preserving and showcasing historical temples.

In addition, we have also developed the Buddhist circuit in the state and are documenting the churches and cemeteries. The state is registering significant growth in tourist arrivals in this segment.” Last month, the HPTDC properties in Dharamshala saw an advance booking rate of 85-90%. An increase in tourist traffic of 20-25% is projected for the city this year.

Interestingly, it’s not just the hospitality industry that’s finding big bucks in religious tourism. Often the entire economy of the pilgrim towns is growing around the high-end travel dollars.

Examples of fringe beneficiaries include food services, transport operators, fashion accessories, antique dealers and book stores. Restaurants in the Indian holy cities are doing brisk business. From the ubiquitous ‘German bakery’ which all towns such as Rishikesh and McLeodganj can boast of, there’s even more adventurous cuisine such as Italian, Spanish, Israeli and American — now available to satiate the taste buds of tourists at Varanasi and Pushkar. According to an estimate, the tiny city of Pushkar alone generates annual revenues of Rs 500 cr through tourism.

Meanwhile, newbies such as no-frills airlines and travel portals, too, want to share the spiritual space. Varanasi, for instance, has become a airlines hub and recently Dharamshala too has more commercial flights touching down. Says Samyukta Sridharan, chief revenue officer, Air Deccan: “Low cost carriers have made religious tourism more organised. Not just pilgrims, leisure travellers too are now flying to pilgrim destinations, mixing leisure with religion. Load factor on religious sectors that Air Deccan flies to — Dharamsala, Madurai and Tirupati — is around 80-85%. On the Dharamsala sector, 40% passengers are foreigners. And now, we are planning flights to other pilgrim destinations such as Bodh Gaya.” For SpiceJet, the load factor on the Mumbai-Delhi-Varanasi sector is around 75%. Says Kamal Hingorani, VP, marketing and planning, SpiceJet: ”During winter months, lots of foreigners fly to this destination. We are looking at connecting religious places with leisure destinations. By the end of this year, we will add more pilgrim destinations.”

With the double track travel needs of both leisure and pilgrimage tourists, travel portals are finding spiritual packages turning into complex itineraries. “India has always been considered as the land of spiritual awakening. With the boom in the tourism sector in India, domestic travellers and those from across the globe are using this opportunity to explore the various religious destinations in the country to understand the myriad shades of the land. These businesses are mainly driven through online catalogues with fulfillment through call centres. About 10% of Indiatimes Travel’s non-air business comes from spiritual and religious destinations. We are also in the process of introducing a comprehensive spiritual package catalogue with special focus on key spiritual and religious events,” says an Indiatimes spokesperson.

Adds Nikhil Rungta, head, marketing, yatra.com: “As a travel website, we’re seeing a surge in footfalls across pilgrim centres in the country. People are actually combining leisure and pilgrimage on an extended sojourn. Along with domestic travellers, inbound tourism to pilgrim points have also gone up.

Apart from the usual Himalayan suspects like Kedarnath and Badrinath, Gangotri or Rishikesh, curious foreign tourists are visiting shrines across the country.” No doubt then that spiritual journeys in India today have come to mean more than just renunciation. They could signify anything from big profits to ethnic diversity and eastern mysticism. So next time, the guy on the seat beside you on the flight to Varanasi may not be going there to die. Instead, he’s perhaps getting there to get a life!

June 10, 2007
Source: Economic Times

Rural
Wine
Heritage
Adventure
Education
Nature tourism

1. JLR to come up with three new projects in Karnataka
Jungle Lodges and Resorts (JLR), a major player in the ecotourism segment in Karnataka today, has plans to start three more resorts in the State by the next year. The resorts will come up at Malaya Marutha in Chikmagalur district, Doraji Deer Sanctuary in Bellary district and at Kollegal. The investment for each resort ranges from Rs two crore to Rs three crore. Presently, discussions are on with the Department of Tourism to get clearances for the three resorts.

The plan is to target the upmarket segment, including IT professionals and corporate clientele. In terms of marketing, the resorts will look at word-of-mouth publicity, besides regular advertisements and presentations for existing clients. Outdoor trails, bird watching, educating guests about wildlife and nature, interactions with the local tribal community, if any, will be some of the activities at the resorts, much along the lines of other JLR projects in Karnataka. Similarly, most products available at the proposed resorts will be made by the locals residing in the area, using locally available materials. The idea is to maintain an ethnic look and ensure that the guests feel closer to nature.

"There is a boom in the ecotourism segment today and we see a lot of unexplored potential in the area. A lot of private operators have also ventured into the segment," says N D Tiwari, Managing Director, Jungle Lodges and Resorts. The company goes through an elaborate process for selecting the locations for its projects. "Firstly, the project has to be close to a forest area. Besides, it has to be commercially feasible. Sometimes, we also conduct a survey to find out if there actually is a demand for ecotourism activities in a particular area," adds Tiwari.

At present, the occupancy rate at JLR resorts, says Tiwari, is 80 per cent throughout the year. "The company is confident that the new properties will also have similar occupancy rates," he offers. Recently, JLR announced new tariff for its properties, to be applicable from June 16, 2007 to June 15, 2008.

June 14, 2007
Source: TravelBiz Monitor

Luxury & rejuvenation ( ayurveda, spas, holistic healing, cruises, customized travel)

Others

Policy

Travel and Tourism Support Industries …and much more

Service providers

1. Blue Star Tours & Travels targets student market
Leisure and corporate segment operator, Blue Star Tours & Travels is now focusing on the student community, a niche segment with potential for good volume of business. The company is designing packages for educational tours to Egypt and Turkey for September 2007. "We are focusing on educational packages, because there is a huge and relatively untapped market. Till date about five schools have approached us for the Egypt and Turkey packages. More and more schools want to take their students to Egypt and Turkey, rather than Singapore and Malaysia, as these destinations offer sites of historical significance like the Pyramids, temples at Luxor etc., which increase the general knowledge of the children," stated Vidyadhar Naik, Inbound Manager, Blue Star Tours & Travels. The company will be finalising the itinerary of the packages to Egypt and Turkey in a couple of days.

According to Naik, there is good of potential in this segment, as parents are more willing to spend on educational trips and also like to accompany their children to such destinations. The company is looking at creating educational packages to various destinations and offering the same round the year. It is also open to the idea of creating customised packages to suit the needs of clients. Naik also informed that since these packages are aimed at the student community they would be priced cheaper than the general leisure packages to the same destination. Apart from the educational packages, Blue Stars & Tours have already launched their monsoon packages to Kerala, Goa and Himalayas. This year, the company is targeting about 1,500 tourists each on both the international and domestic level.
June 14, 2007
Source: TravelBiz Monitor

2. Swiss Tours plans to expand operations in India
Exclusive tent packages, mountain excursion packages on the anvil.

Swiss International Airlines' new flights to Delhi offer Swiss Tours, the airlines' leisure arm, the perfect incentive to expand operations in the country, beginning with Rajasthan and Chandigarh. For its upcoming packages, Swiss Tours has tied up with Golf Hotel in Montreux, Switzerland. "We are in talks with spa hotels in Switzerland. We are also planning exclusive tent packages amidst forest and it should be ready in about two months. Mountain excursion packages, in partnership with a mountain company, are also in the pipeline," informed Toovey Abraham, Manager - India, Hong Kong & UAE, Swiss Tours. Swiss Tours offers flexible tour options, wherein one can take an Emirates or Lufthansa flight and still opt for the Swiss Tours packages.

Though Swiss Tours works closely with travel agents, according to Abraham, 70 per cent of its sales happen directly through customers. "25 per cent of Swiss Tours' travellers are the repeat customers. In terms of customers, we are growing at the rate of 25 per cent every year and profit wise we are growing at 20 per cent every year," maintains Abraham. Presently, Swiss Tours has 11 offices across India in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Chennai, Indore, Kolkatta, Hyderabad, Pune and Goa. Besides India, it has five offices in UAE and one in Hong Kong.

June 12,2007
Source: TravelBizMonitor

3. Fatehpur Sikri is ticket to Taj Mahal!
Tourists are entering the Taj Mahal with tickets for another historical structure near here, Fatehpur Sikri, as the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has simply run out of gate passes for the 17th century monument to love.

'What a way to promote the Taj Mahal! They want us to vote for the Taj for the new seven wonders list. And we can't even take back the entrance ticket as a souvenir because it has Fatehpur Sikri printed on it,' said Dinesh, a tourist from Patna who had come with a group of 12 people.

'A faint rubber stamp of the Taj Mahal is there, but surely a monument like that deserves a much better, more attractive and genuine entry ticket.' This, according to tourist guides, has been going on for several months. Apparently ASI's stock of tickets is exhausted and the new supplies from Kolkata have not reached Agra.

An ASI clerk at the entrance office said tickets for the Taj were out of print. A senior official of ASI also said the same thing, but declined to comment on how long it would take to set matters right.

A tourist from Salem in Tamil Nadu was confused when a guide told him: 'Taj Mahal is not in Fatehpur Sikri!' Citing the entry ticket, the guide clarified: 'The tourist probably thought the Taj was in the Sikri complex.'

The Fatehpur Sikri complex is the deserted capital of Mughal emperor Akbar, 35 km from Agra. It has the famous Buland Darwaza and Sufi saint Sheikh Salim Chisti's tomb, in addition to a dozen other smaller monuments. Along with the Taj and Agra Fort, Fatehpur Sikri is the third heritage monument in Agra.

It is an open secret that travel agents and tourist guides run a racket in Taj tickets with official connivance. Officially foreigners at the Taj have to shell out Rs.750 while Indian tourists can enter paying Rs.20. Entry is free on Fridays.

'But the tickets are not numbered, they are resold, free entry is allowed to just about anyone. In particular, there is a lot of bungling where foreign tourists are involved,' alleges an ex-office bearer of Agra's Hotels and Restaurants Association.

'The guides connive with the booking window officials. The loot is equally shared.'
Says historian R. Nath: 'I have at least eight lapses on record of irregularities under the 1958 ASI Act, which I have culled through the use of the RTI Act. Surely the Taj Mahal is not in safe hands.'

Ambika Soni, the union tourism minister, was in Agra two days ago to appeal to the people to vote for the Taj Mahal as a wonder of the world. But the infrastructure there is hardly world class. A woman from Tamil Nadu collapsed at the Taj after a heat stroke Sunday afternoon.

The Taj Mahal and other monuments do not even have adequate water coolers in summer. Until a few days ago, the coolers installed by the Agra development authority were out of service. After the local media raised a hue and cry, they were repaired. But since the coolers are a good distance away from the main mausoleum, visitors are put to a lot of inconvenience.

June 12, 2007
Source: IANS via Yahoo

Travel ecommerce

Events

1. IITM to kick start at Bangalore this July
India International Travel Mart (IITM) kick starts at Bangalore this year from July 21 to July 23. There will be 200 participants from over 12 countries as opposed to 170 participants last year. "Maldives is the new entrant this year. There will be a huge delegation of travel agents and resorts from Maldives," says Rohit Hangal, Director, IITM. After the launch in Bangalore, the event will be held in Chennai, Mumbai, Pune and Hyderabad.

There will be 20 state tourism departments participating in the event and making presentations at Bangalore. The event will cover about 20 tourism segments, including ecotourism, hotels and resorts, airlines, handicrafts, adventure sports, holiday packages, Meetings Incentives Conventions Exhibitions (MICE), healthcare and travel insurance services, timeshare resorts, corporate clubs, hospitality institutes and speciality vehicles.

IITM Bangalore is touted as the biggest in India, primarily because IITM is headquartered in Bangalore. "In the north, Pune is a big market as the event was initiated there. Last year there were 120 participants in Pune. Mumbai is the next important market," informs Hangal. "Chennai and Hyderabad were slow starters, but they have picked up now. They are more open to participating in road shows, conferences and other events," he adds.

June 15, 2007
Source: TravelBiz Monitor

2. F1 would be mega biz in India
If you were thinking the arrival of Formula One to `saddi dilli’ would remain a dream, it is time to give your imagination a shake up. A deal has already been signed with the sport's commercial supremo Bernie Ecclestone to hold the first F1 race in the capital as early as 2009. But is it going to be as easy as that?

Some serious efforts put in by motorsport enthusiasts and professionals off the field could most definitely change India’s fortunes by making Indian F1 a success. The Indian Olympic Association (IOA) will be the promoter and will now have to scramble to build a brand-new F1 race track in Delhi to hold the race in less than two years from now.

How will it change the face of Delhi? Firstly, F1’s arrival will mean a big leg-up to travel and tourism industry many times over. Tourism operators, hotels and airlines can make big bucks from packages that bundle F1 besides the regular attractions such as Taj Mahal. “See what Sepang Circuit did to Kuala Lumpur. There is no reason why it should not happen here,” said F1 enthusiast Nitin Pathak.

Since all the 11 F1 teams will be coming to India to participate in the race, there would be a requirement for building a huge infrastructure. Delhi would need at least 4,000 three to five star hotels for the tourists from the world over who will visit India during the race.

“Travel agents would be required to have well chalked out week-long packages in their offerings which include a small stay in Delhi with a visit to various other famous tourist spots in India, biggest being the Taj Mahal. This way, we can also regenerate the eroding popularity of the Taj all over again,” said auto expert Muraad Ali Baig.

As the facts and figures go, all the participating companies spend a total of $2.5 billion (approximately) to mark their existence in this mega race. Keeping this in mind, teams like Mc Laren shells out $500-600 million a year to be in the top league.

Each F1 team runs two cars and gets a third one as additional which is kept as a backup and is used at the time of crisis. So, all the three cars each from the 11 teams will require at least 22 jumbo jets with an additional two jumbo jets needed for each team’s crew as well as few miscellaneous items, says another expert.

June 14, 2007
Source: Indiatimes

Research and Market reports

1. Enough room for growth in travel, tourism: Experts
The number of tourist arrivals has increased manifold in the country, yet we manage to attract just two million tourists annually as compared to 50 million that visit China. This means that there is enormous room for growth in the tourism sector, said speakers at the Aviation and Tourism Investor Summit being held here.

Sumit Guha, vice president, projects and development, Taj Group of Hotels and Resorts, said that the group is planning to double its capacity from the existing 6,500 hotel rooms at present. “We have bought additional properties in Bangalore for constructing hotels. Also in Mumbai, we have seen sites in Worli, Parel, Jogeshwari, Thane and in Navi Mumbai too,” Guha said. The idea behind constructing hotels in middle class and upper middle class localities is mainly due to the rapidly emerging new business districts in the metro cities.

Talking about international travellers coming to India, Ankur Bhatia, executive director, Bird Group said, “ Tourist arrivals in India have increased from 81.5 million in 1991 to 432 million in 2006. India is becoming increasingly popular for rural, adventure, wedding and medical tourism.” He gave an example as to how the rooms in a five star hotel have gone upto 9,191 in 2006 from 8,662 in 2002. Also, the average revenue and profit has gone upto Rs 41.2 crore in 2005-06 from Rs 4.39 crore in 2000-01.

Bhatia pointed out that India is poised to be the third fastest growing market in terms of travel and tourism. However, it has to compete in the leisure travel segment with South East Asian countries like Korea.

June 13, 2007
Source: Financial Express

2. Tourism in Karnataka to grow by 2009
Bangalore, which has the highest number of young people with disposal incomes, will drive travel and tourism growth in Karnataka with the revenue from the sector expected to reach Rs 2,500 crore by 2009, a top official of an online travel company said.

"The T&T market in Karnataka is expected to grow from Rs 1,300 crore (2007) to Rs Rs 2,500 crore by 2009," MakeMyTrip.com Founder and CEO Deep Kalra told reporters after launching the online travel firm's regional office here.

Three per cent of MakeMyTrip.com's outbound sales comes from Bangalore and "we expect this to grow to 7 per cent by 2009", he said.

With five regional offices, the leading online travel firm, which reported a turnover of Rs 550 crore at the end of 2007 fiscal, is expecting a turnover of about Rs 1200 crore in the current financial year, Kalra said.

The over 6500-strong online travel firm will have 1,000 employees by 2009, he said.

Out of the Rs 1,300 T&T market in Karnataka, Rs 1,000 crore constitutes corporate travel, while Rs 300 crore is for holiday and leisure.

This holiday and leisure segment, growing at a fast pace in Karnataka, is expected to reach Rs 750 crore in the next three years, Kalra said.

Travel and tourism sector is nearing a boom with the Rs 5,500 crore onlinetravel market in the country expected to touch Rs 14,000 crore mark by 2009, he said.

Bangalore, which always had a strong corporate travel opportunity, is fast evolving in leisure travel, Kalra said. MakeMyTrip.com, which recognises this need, will assist customers to develop customised holidays as per their needs and preferences, he said.

The firm, which set up operations in India in 2005 after four years of profitable operations in the US-India travel market, sells over 5,000 flight tickets, 1000 hotel room nights and over 50 holiday packages a day.

The site attracts over 1.8 million visitors every month.

The firm's recently launched advanced hotel search engine that allows a one-click search to the database of over 2500 hotels in over 300 locations, including the maps of hotel locations.

MakeMyTrip.com is also piloting retail intiatives with Spencers, Subhiksha and BPCL.

"By 2009, we want to become the largest travel company with a turnover exceeding Rs 2,000 crore", Kalra said.

June 12, 2007
Source: Economic Times via PTI

Human Resources & Training

Travel Characteristics of Indians

1. London gets influx of Indian tourists
Visitors from India are spending more in London than the Japanese for the first time, highlighting the strength of India's economy and the changing nature of tourism in the UK capital.

Indians spent 139 million pounds ($273 million) last year, up from 107 million pounds the previous year and 78 million pounds in 2003, according to the latest figures from Visit London, which promotes the city to tourists. The number of Indian tourists rose from 130,000 in 2003 to 212,000 last year.

"It's all about how deep is your pocket,'' said Rajesh Saxana, 49, a government official from New Delhi as he watched the changing of the guard outside Buckingham Palace. ``I always dreamed in my childhood that I would come to London one day. Now India has more economic power and prosperity and we can do it.''

India, Asia's fourth largest economy, is growing at the second-fastest pace after China among the world's major economies. The $854 billion Indian economy will grow 8.5 per cent in the 12 months ending March 31, according to the Reserve Bank of India. It averaged 8.6 per cent growth in the previous four years. The $12 billion real estate industry is growing at 30 per cent a year.

Salaries may grow an average 14.5 per cent this year, Hewitt Associates Inc, a human resources consultant, said in March, enriching the country's middle class which numbers about 300 million people.

"Those who were middle class are becoming upper middle class,'' said Lakshmi Prattipati, an Indian tourist in Parliament Square. ``They have money and they want to travel to see places all over the world.''

The rise in Indian tourism coincides with a decline in Japanese visitors to London. There were 434,000 in 2000 and last year only 230,000 visited, spending 123 million pounds.

Developing Countries

"It's illustrative of the way the mix of people coming into London is changing with an influx from nations who are finding their economic feet and their travel bug,'' said Ken Kelling, a spokesman for Visit London. "We see the number of visitors from India growing quite fast over the next few years.''

London faces competition from countries including the US, Australia and South Africa to harness the growing number of Indians traveling abroad, Kelling said. He believes most will favor the UK because of historical links between the two countries. India gained independence from British rule in 1947.

"Bollywood is also a big draw because the films have used lots of locations here,'' Kelling said, referring to the Indian film industry. "We've just produced a Bollywood map of London so people can go and see them.''

London Convention

London is also bidding to host the 2008 annual convention of the Travel Agents Association of India, which would be the first time it has been held in Europe. About 90 per cent of bookings in India are made through travel agents who together represent hundreds of millions of potential tourists.

"If we succeed we could expect to see tourism from India grow by up to 30 per cent in the years following,'' said Martine Ainsworth-Wells, of Visit London.

At London's famous Madame Tussauds waxwork museum sculptors have just given pride of place in the entrance hall to a new figure of Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan. Tourists queue to have their picture taken with him, mostly ignoring a waxwork of pop star Madonna nearby.

Outside the Houses of Parliament tourist Y G Bhave said he was more interested in India's shared history with Britain.

" It gives a special kind of pleasure to visit the country of India's erstwhile masters, not as their slaves but as their equals,'' he said. ``They can no longer pass laws over us.''

June 14, 2007
Source: Economic Times

2. Single yuppies blaze tourism’s new frontier
Single and offbeat.

The niche tourist has emerged as a new profile in tourism’s summer landscape this year, pushing traditional group travellers less hot, industry officials say.
Changes in the economy, where growth is combining with a restless adventurous spirit among young workers and increasing affluence, has given rise to a market category appropriately summed up in the acronym FIT – fit individual travllers.

In the FIT business, the same size does not fit all. Tourists flush with cash are looking for customized itineraries aided in part by employers offering travel incentives.

The Kuoni Group, which is eyeing this fast track segment, has aligned its itineraries for 2007 to suit free travel needs. "Individual travellers want to discover exotic destinations. Their itineraries are broad, tailored to suit personal needs. Exotic locations appeal to them because they can explore these destinations at their own pace," says Nishant Kashikar, senior general manager,marketing, Do-it-yourself Holidays and Kuoni Holidays.

The current outbound market is pegged at 7.5 million, up by 20 per cent from two years ago, and inbound tours have increased by 12 per cent. Riding on a nine per cent economic growth in the country, changing lifestyles and more global exposure, the trend also reflects an economy in which 50 per cent of the population is under 25 years of age.

These new tourists travel light, want some stress busting to make up for aggressive corporate lives and look for comfort, not just old-fashioned sightseeing.

As part of its new marketing strategy to promote individual travel, an expert panel, Kuoni Certified Travellers, is designing new customized packages for the FIT segment. The group has logged 30 per cent growth in customized packages for individual travellers since last year and foresees an onward march.

"Individual holidays are journeys of self discovery for me when I can spend time with myself and reflect on my life," says Aditya Paul, a Mumbai-based model-turned actor.

Paul planned his holiday on the Internet last year, carved an adventure trail from Bangkok to Vietnam by boat and then hopped off to Camodia for the temple circuit.

OP Munjal, director, Vivada Cruises, attributes the spurt in FIT to a maturing market, which is moving from traditional sources of marketing to online hawking, which has grown by 125 per cent over the past year. Travel portals help individual travellers source services and innovate schedules at the best possible prices.

Consequently, river cruises, rural tourism and spiritual and wellness odysseys are climbing inbound popularity charts. For instance, Cox and Kings’ Ezeego1.com, an FIT portal, takes care of airlines, hotels and attraction bookings worldwide with scope for tweaking itineraries.

The government is also on an overdrive to lure the foreign tourist. It has relaxed via procurement norms, especially in Europe, where embassies have outsourced jobs locally to meet a 48-hour clearance deadline. Five-year tourist visas with multiple entries have also opened floodgates for Indophiles. "Now, I am even pushing for visas on arrival," says Union Tourism Minister Ambika Soni.

Kuoni sees 35-40 per cent growth in health holidays, spiritual getaways, adventure and wildlife tourism in the FIT niche over the next two years. At present, the average holiday duration of the individual foreign tourist in India is the highest in the world, exceeding 27 days in non-tourist packages and 14 days in holiday deals.

WTM Global Travel Trends lists individual travellers into two categories: the adventurers and singletons scouting for mates on holidays. The concept is fundamentally American.

"They are mostly second-time travellers, who have either visited India or have been abroad once as part of group charters and want to do it on their own the next time around. Most of them are affluent and well-informed, and they background schedules on the Internet," says Arup Sen, executive director, Cox and Kings, which has clocked 30 per cent growth in the FIT segment since last summer

June 13, 2007
Source: Hindustan Times